Renault world sales climb in 2004

PARIS, Jan 6 (AFP) - French carmaker Renault on Thursday reported a 4.2 percent rise in sales worldwide last year of its Renault, Samsung and Dacia marques to 2.48 million units.

PARIS, Jan 6 (AFP) - French carmaker Renault on Thursday reported a 4.2 percent rise in sales worldwide last year of its Renault, Samsung and Dacia marques to 2.48 million units.

Sales of the Renault marque rose 4.5 percent to 2.30 million vehicles, while those of Samsung of South Korea fell 23.7 percent to 85,046. The Romanian marque Dacia posted a 38.6 percent surge in sales to 95,296.

Renault said that in 2005 it wanted to maintain the 10.8 percent market share it obtained in western Europe in 2004.

Outside western Europe group sales increased 16.4 percent to 676,870 vehicles last year.